Hand luggage



Oct 2, 1956 P. PLATT EI'AL HAND LUGGAGE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 26. 1954 P. PLATT ETAL Oct. 2, 1955 HAND LUGGAGE 7 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 26, 1954 United States Patent G HAND LUGGAGE Paul Platt, Evanston, 111., and Dec F. Umbenhauer, Dayton, Ohio, assignors to Platt Luggage, Inc., Chicago, 11]., a corporation of Illinois Application May 26, 1954, Serial No. 432,412

2 (llaims. (Cl. 223-71) The present invention relates generally to hand luggage, and more particularly to hand luggage with removable garment supporting fixtures.

When one packs garments such as suits and dresses within the usual hand luggage case, it is generally necessary to fold the garments within the luggage case. The usual procedure in packing a garment within a piece of hand luggage includes positioning and adjusting the garment in a neatly supported condition on a garment hanger; inter-engaging the hanger having the garment thereon with a hanger post which is generally located adjacent to and centrally of either the top or bottom wall of one of the wardrobe compartments or sections of the luggage case; straightening the garment within the luggage case; and folding or draping the lower portions of the garment over a suitable garment supporting fixture which is generally pivotally mounted within the same wardrobe compartment as the hanger post. This packing procedure is very clumsy and time-consuming. In addition, it is very difiicult to pack a garment within such hand luggage cases without wrinkling or creasing the garment. Furthermore, if several garments are packed within the same luggage case, it is generally necessary to unpack or remove the uppermost garments to get at the garments which are packed at a lower position in the same wardrobe compartment of the luggage case.

The principal object of the present invention is to overcome the above deficiencies of the prior art hand luggage cases. This object is accomplished by providing a hand luggage case with one or more removable garment supporting fixtures around which a garment or garments may be folded and fixedly held in such folded condition before eing positioned within the luggage case.

Further objects of the present invention are to provide a novel garment supporting fixture on which garments can be quickly and easily folded without wrinkling or creasing the garments; to provide a removable garment supporting fixture which will permit one to pack garments within a hand luggage case of reduced dimensions; and to provide such a removable garment supporting fixture for hand luggage which is simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture, and rugged and durable in use.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description and accompanying drawings of selected embodiments of the invention.

In the drawings: 7

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a piece of hand luggage which includes removable garment supporting fixtures in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged plan view of one of the garment supporting fixtures shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a partial sectional view of the garment supporting fixture with the hanger removed, taken along line 33 of Figure 2;

Figures 4 through 7 are successive plan views illustrating one method of packing a mans suit on the garment supporting fixture shown in the previous figures;

Figure 8 is a plan view illustrating an alternative method of packing a mans suit on a garment supporting fixture having a modified garment supporting hanger; and

Figure 9 is a plan view showing a plurality of dresses "ice packed on another embodiment of a garment supporting fixture in accordance with the present invention.

The objects of the present invention are accomplished by providing hand luggage cases with one or more garment supporting fixtures on which suits, jackets, robes, coats, dresses, and the like may be folded before being placed within the main body of such luggage cases.

Referring now particularly to Figure 1, the numeral 11 designates one form of hand luggage case embodying the present invention. The luggage case 11 includes a main section 13 and a cover section 15 which are hingedly connected together for movement from the open position shown in Figure 1 to a closed position wherein the free edges of the cover section 15 overlap the free edges of the main section 13. The main section 13 is equipped with the usual handle 17 by which the luggage case 11 is carried when it is in closed condition and the main section 13 and cover section 15 are provided with the customary latch means 19 for maintaining the luggage case 11 in its closed position. The open end of each of the sections 13 and 15 is provided with a usual flexible curtain-type closure member 21 for covering and maintaining the position of articles or garments which may be packed in the respective sections.

The luggage case 11 includes a plurality of removable garment supporting fixtures 23 which fit loosely into either or both of the sections 13 and 15 of the luggage case.

While the illustrated luggage case includes complementary box-like sections formed of generally rigid material such as leather or fiberboard, it should be understood that removable garment supporting fixtures in accordance with the present invention may be used with various other forms of hand luggage cases, for example, flexible-walled luggage cases formed of soft, flexible complementary side walls which are hingedly connected together along one edge and releasably interengageable along the remaining edges by suitable fastening means such as a zipper.

Each garment supporting fixture 23 includes a generally fiat, rectangular following board 25, at least one hanger post 27 fixedly attached to the following board 25, a garment supporting hanger 29 detachably carried by each hanger post 27 and adapted to have a garment draped thereon with its depending portion adapted to be folded around the following board 25, and removable retaining means 31 which may be positioned around the following board for holding garments which are folded around the following board in fixed position.

The flat, generally rectangular fol-lowing board 25 forms the main body of the garment supporting fixture. The following board 25 may be made of any suitable material or materials which result in a relatively rigid supporting structure. For example, the following board could be made of a composite structure such as cloth-covered cardboard, clo-thboard, or fiberboard with the edges of the following board reinforced by suitable, relatively rigid molding; from a single sheet of relatively rigid material such as light aluminum, plywood, or fiberglass, etc. In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings, the following board 25 is made of a single piece of molded fiberglass. The edges of the following board are rounded so garments may be folded therearound without becoming creased. If the following board is relatively thin, it may be desirable to provide an enlarged rounded edge such as is illustrated at 33 around which the garments may be folded. Although the following board may be slightly flexible, it should normally retain its fiat form unless it is subjected to rather large stresses.

The hanger post 27 is riveted or otherwise secured to the following board 25 adjacent to and medially of one of its edges 33. The hanger post 27 is designed for coperative interengagement with the garment supporting hanger 29. There are a great variety of hanger posts and cooperating hangers on the market and various of these might be employed in connection with the present invention. The hanger post 27 disclosed in the drawings includes a fiat, metallic base plate 35 which is secured to the following board by rivets 37 or the like and an upwardly extending, arched or U-shaped member 9 which extends upwardly from and which is secured by means such as welding to the base plate 35. The U-shaped member 39 is formed from a fiat metallic strip and in.- cludes leg sections 41 which extend generally transversely to the base plate 35 and an upper connecting section 43 which is generally parallel to the base plate 35. The edges 45 of the upper connecting section are of concave form so as to provide a reduced width for accommodating with the connecting portion of the garment supporting hanger 29 as will be hereinafter explained. All of the edges of the hanger post are smoothly rounded so that garments may be folded thereover without danger ofcatching or tearing the garment.

The garment supporting hanger 29 is of generally conventional construction and includes a body portion 47 having diverging side or shoulder engaging sections 49 and a centrally positioned latch means 51 which permits the interengagement of the hanger 29 with the hanger post 27. The body portion 47 of the hanger may be conveniently made from a flat sheet of wood which may be of a single layer or of laminated fonm. The illustrated latch means 51 includes a flat metal plate 53 which is suitably riveted or otherwise attached centrally to the body portion of the hanger adjacent the upper edge thereof. The upper end of the plate 53 extends above the upper edge of the body portion 47 of the hanger and includes a suitably dimensioned T'shaped slot 55, so

as to permit the plate 53 to be interengaged with the hanger post as illustrated in Figure 2. The latch means 51 also includes a rotatable member 57 which is pivoatlly attached by a suitable rivet 59 to the center of the plate 53. Both ends of the member 57 are hooked, one of the hooked ends designated at 61, being relatively small, and the other booked and designated at 63, being considerably larger. The hooked end 61 is dimensioned so that when the base plate is interengaged with the hanger post, a suitable rotation of the member 57 will cause the upper end portion of the hooked end 61 to extend through the leg sections 41 and hanger post 27,'thereby lock-ing the hanger 29. from disengagement from the hanger post 27. The larger hooked end 63 provides a handle for swinging the hooked end, 61 into and out of engagement with the hanger post 2 7 and also provides a means for suspending the hanger with or without garments in a closet on a hook, rail, or bar when the hanger 29 is separated from the hanger post 27.

The retaining means 31 shown in the drawings co prises two continuous, cloth-covered, elastic bands, each of which is of suitable dimensions and elasticity so that when it is positioned around the following board 25, it is under a slight tension. The retaining means 31 are adapted for maintaining a garment in folded condition on the following board. Although two such elastic bands are shown with each following board in Figures 1 and 2, it should be understood that a different number of elastic bands (one or more than two) might be provided de pending upon the type of garments which are to be packed on the following board. Various other forms of retaining means such as adjustable straps, elastic belts, etc. could be substituted for the disclosed elastic bands.

As previously stated, a plurality of garment supporting fixtures 23 are provided for the hand luggage case 11 illustrated in Figure l. The garment supporting fixtures 23 may be positioned in either of the sections 13 or 15 of the luggage case. The dimensions of the following boards a 4 25 are such as to penmit the garment supporting fixtures 23 to be positioned within the section 13 or 35 of the luggage case ll without binding after suitable garments have been suitably folded therearound. Normally, a following board 25 having a length and width which is between and 1 /2 inches less than the corresponding inner dimensions of the luggage case 11 is satisfactory. The number of garment supporting fixtures which can be placed in each section 13 and 15 of the luggage case 11 depends upon the height of that section of the in; age case and the thickness and length of the garments whtch are held by the garment supporting fixtures 23.

There are various methods of packing garments on the garment supporting fixtures 23 illustrated in Figures 1, 2, and 3. Figures 4 through 7 illustrate one method of packing a mans suit on such a garment supporting fixture. in the illustrated method of packing a suit, the trousers 65 of the suit is first placed on a horizontal surface in straightened, normally creased condition with the trouser legs superimposed. The following board 25 is then placed approximately centrally above the trousers 65 with the upper and lower extremities of the trousers extending outwardly of the following board 25 as illustrated in Figure 4. The outer end portions of the trousers 65 are then folded back over the side edges of the following board to the position illustrated in Figure 5. Next, the jacket 67 of the suit is placed in the usual manner on the garment supporting hanger 29 and the hanger interengaged with the hanger post 27. The hanger 29 is locked in position by rotating the member 57 until the outer end portion of the hooked end 61 moves between the leg sections 41 of the hanger post 27. The jacket fronts 69 are overlapped slightly so that the pockets lie flat and the sleeves 71 placed in cross-hand position (as illustrated in Figure 6) so that they lie smoothly over the forward face of the jacket. The following board 25 is then grasped adjacent its lower end and rotated as indicated in Figure 6. This rotation will cause the lower portion of the jacket 67 to fold smoothly around the lower edge of the following board 25 and to assume a fiat position on the bottom of the following board. One of the elastic retaining bands 31 is then placed around the following board 25 and suit in position so as to engage the terminal ends of the sleeves 71, thereby locking the sleeves in position. If the lower end of the jacket 67 lies onthe following board, a second elastic band 31 is placed around the following board in position so as to overlie the end portion of the jacket '67 and hold the same in position on the following board 25 (see Figure 7). However, if the jacket 67 is very long (as it very well might be in the case of a very tall person) the lower end of the jacket 67 might extend beyond the following board 25 after the first rotation thereof. In this case, the following board 25 is rotated a second time so as to fold the lower portion of the. jacket over the upper edge of the following board 25, hanger post 27, and coat hanger 29. The second elastic retaining band 31, in this case as in the previous case, is positioned around the following board 25 and suit so as to overlie the lower end portion of the jacket. A suit which is packed in the above manner will be free of unnatural creases and will not be easily wrinkled. After the second elastic band 31 is positioned around the following board 25 and suit, the garment supporting fixture 23 with the suit packed thereon may be moved about without changing the position of the suit on the garment supporting fixture.

Other types of garments can be packed just as easily on. the garment supporting fixture 23, for example, dresses, robes, coats, and the like. Such garments are positioned on the garment supporting hanger 29 and the hanger is then interengaged with the hanger post 27 of the following board 25. After the garment is adjusted and straightened, the following board 25 is rotated until the ends of the sleeves of the garment lie on the following board 25. The first elastic band is positioned around the following board 25 and garment so as to lock the sleeves in position. The garment supporting board is then further rotated until the lower end of the garment lies on one of the faces of the following board 25 and the second band is then positioned over the following board and garment so as to lock the lower end of the garment in position.

The garment supporting fixtures 23 can be used for packing garments such as dresses within smaller sized hand luggage cases than has been heretofore possible. For example, one can pack a garment such as a dress on a relatively small garment supporting fixture 23 which will fit within an overnight case. This is possible because the dress may be folded more than once around the following board 25 without causing the dress to crease or wrinkle.

A garment supporting fixture 73 having another form of hanger designated by the reference numeral 75 is illustrated in Figure 8. The hanger 75 includes a lower cross bar 77 around which the legs of a pair of trousers may be draped. A mans suit may be packed on this fixture in the following manner. The hanger 75 is initially placed between the legs of the trousers 79 of the suit and each leg thereof folded over the cross bar 77 so as to interengage the lower end portion of the trousers therewith in the manner illustrated in Figure 8. The suit jacket 81 is then positioned over the hanger 75 and the hanger interlocked with the hanger post 27. After the jacket is straightened, the following board 25 is rotated and the suit locked in position on the following board by suitable elastic hands. If necessary, a third elastic band 31 is used to hold down the upper end or waist portion of the trousers 79.

A garment supporting fixture in accordance with the present invention can also be made for holding a plurality of garments such as dresses or the like thereon. One such garment supporting fixture in its manner of utilization is illustrated in Figure 9. This fixture, designated by the reference numeral 83, includes a secor hanger post 27 which is positioned on the same face of the following board 25 as the first hanger post 27 but adjacent to and medially of one of the edges of the following board 25 which is transverse to the edge of the following board 25 which is adjacent to the first hanger post 27. Dresses are packed on the garment supporting fixture 83 in the following manner. A first dress 85 is positioned on one of the garment supporting hangers 29 and that hanger engaged with one of the hanger posts 27. The dress 85 is then folded around and secured in position on the following board in the manner previously described. A second dress 87 is then positioned on a second garment supporting hanger 29 and that hanger then engaged on the other hanger post 27. The second dress 87 is thus arranged so as to extend in a direction which is at right angles to the first positioned dress. The second dress 87 is then folded around and secured in position on the following board as previously described.

Instead of the garment supporting fixture 83, one could use a garment supporting fixture (not shown) having either a twin hanger post such as is disclosed in Patent No. 2,479,831 or a pair of separate, spaced apart hanger posts located adjacent to and centrally of one of the edges of the following board. Dresses may be packed on this form of garment supporting fixture in the following manner. A dress is placed on each of the hangers and the hangers interengaged with their respective hanger posts. Both of the dresses are then simultaneously folded around the following board and secured in position by suitable retaining bands. The hanger posts in this garrnent supporting fixture should be spaced apart a short distance which should be substantially less than half the total width or" a hanger so that when the garment hangers are placed thereon, the ends of the hangers will be displaced relative to each other, thereby assuring the shoulder portion of dresses packed on this garment supporting fixture not to be superimposed.

When more than one garment supporting fixture with garments thereon are packed within a luggage case, the garment supporting fixtures may be superimposed within one of the sections of the luggage case or may be positioned in both sections of the luggage case. At a later time, if one desires to obtain a garment which is resting on the bottom of the luggage case, one can easily raise the upper-lying garment supporting fixtures to get at the garment supporting fixture and garment desired. The remaining garment supporting fixtures may be replaced within the luggage case and retained therein until the garments which are packed thereon are needed. This is made possible because the garments are maintained in uncreased and unwrinkled condition on the garment supporting fixtures.

Garment supporting fixtures embodying the present invention are simple and inexpensive to manufacture, are usable with a great many varieties of hand luggage cases, and are very etficient for their intended use.

Other variations and arrangements will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art. Various features of the invention believed to be new are set forth in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A garment supporting fixture for hand luggage comprising a generally fiat rectangular following board, each of the edges of said following board being rounded to permit garments to be folded therearound without becoming creased, hanger supporting means attached to one face of said following board adjacent to and generally medially of one of the marginal edges thereof, said hanger supporting means being formed to permit garments to be folded thereover without catching or tearing, a garment supporting hanger detachably interengaged with said hanger supporting means, said hanger being adapted to have one end of an elongated garment draped therearound with the depending portion of the garment arranged for folding around said following board, and at least one removable elastic retaining band extending around said following board for holding garments folded around said following board in fixed position.

2. A garment supporting fixture for hand luggage comprising a generally fiat rectangular following board, each of the edges of said following board being rounded to permit garments to be folded therearound without becoming creased, at least one hanger post fixedly attached to one face of said following board adjacent to and generally medially of one of the marginal edges thereof, each said hanger post having a portion thereof which extends outwardly from said following board which is adapted for interengagement with a cooperating garment supporting hanger, the outwardly extending portion of each of said hanger posts having rounded edges so as to permit garments to be folded thereover without catching or tearing, a garment supporting hanger detachably interengaged with each of said hanger posts and adapted to have one end of an elongated garment draped thereover with the depending portion of the garment arranged for folding around said following board, and a plurality of removable elastic retaining bands extending around said following board for holding garments folded around said following board in fixed poistion.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,197,699 White Sept. 12, 1916 1,861,274 Hopkins May 31, 1932 1,951,985 Likly Mar. 20, 1934 1,984,698 Plotkin Dec. 18, 1934 2,130,489 Meyer Nov. 21, 1939 2,318,527 Rosenthal May 4, 1943 2,384,332 Nicholas Sept. 4, 1945 

